Age: 16
Hometown: Mililani, O’ahu
Since she was only eight years old, Rylee Brooke has been committed to volunteering and advocating for the protection of animals, the environment, the homeless, and empowering youth leaders in her community. In 2016, Rylee Brooke founded three organizations: The Secret Santa Project Hawai’i, Love is a Verb Foundation, and Promise to our Keiki. This organization has grown into The Catalyst’s Club, an umbrella nonprofit for what is now 8 youth-run programs that’s share an overarching mission to create and provide opportunities for children and youth to be a catalyst for change that makes a positive impact on the world.
As a Native Hawaiian, Rylee Brooke and her ‘ohana (family) rely on locally grown and harvested kalo to make poi (dish made from kalo) and luau leaves, limu (seaweed), and poke (Hawaiian dish of raw fish) as staples in their diet. However, climate change is threatening Rylee Brooke’s food security and significantly reducing the abundance of these traditional food sources, which are an important aspect of her culture.
As a snorkeler, diver, and swimmer, even with sharks, Rylee Brooke has personally observed the reduction in fish populations around O‘ahu over the course of her lifetime. She’s distressed by the unprecedented changes occurring in Hawaiʻi and wonders if she should have her own children if the climate crisis continues to worsen.
